Lip fillers are a popular cosmetic procedure, with patients travelling from all over the world to take advantage of the wide range of treatments available. However, when fillers are injected incorrectly or are not suitable for the lips, they can end up migrating off the vermilion border, resulting in an undesirable “trout mouth” or “duck lip” appearance. This is why it is so important to turn to a trained medical professional to perform your lip filling procedures. Migration of fillers can occur if an inexperienced injector does not understand the structure of the skin and places too much padding in areas where it shouldn't be, or places the filler too deep. It can also occur when too much padding is placed at once, or when a patient has had fillers placed in the past 6 to 12 months.
In these cases, movement can occur due to swelling. Dr. Samuel Hahn, a double-seal certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Cockeysville, MD explains that a thin plane known as pars marginalis and peripheral pars separates the lip muscle (orbicularis oris) and injecting it into the wrong plane can allow the filler to move. He adds that it would be an absolute disaster if your filler migrated so easily due to the dynamic movement of your lips. When fillers move out of their intended location, patients are left with an unnatural-looking lip that protrudes or looks fuller in unexpected areas. To restore a more natural shape, projection and size to the lips, hyaluronidase is used to soften the filler.
The cost and number of sessions needed vary on a case-by-case basis, but largely depends on how much filler dissolves, how long it has been there, and the type of filler originally injected. To avoid filler migration, it is best to eliminate significant volume improvement over time. When it comes to lip fillers, it is important to remember that characteristics of the face are not that different from the size of our shoe - they only fit a certain amount in a specific space. By turning to a trained medical professional for your lip filling procedures, you can ensure that your lips look natural and beautiful.
